Coach Jerod Haase has signed a new, six-year agreement worth $1 million in annual compensation. “Our recruits and their families can rest assured that I will be at UAB for the long-term future,” Haase said. “Today’s commitment by the administration is a strong statement that UAB wants to be great in basketball.”

University of Alabama at Birmingham President Ray L. Watts, M.D., announced today that Men’s Basketball Coach Jerod Haase has agreed to a new, six-year agreement, reflecting the university’s commitment to the program’s continued success as a strategic priority for Athletics.

The agreement calls for UAB to pay Haase, whose Conference USA Championship team reached the Round of 32 in this year’s NCAA Tournament, total compensation of $1 million per year. Haase will be eligible for incentives tied to the team’s accomplishments on the court and in the classroom.

“Coach Haase is a rising star in college basketball, and we want him and his staff to take UAB to unprecedented levels of success,” Watts said. “Our investments in the program to reach and sustain excellence and win championships, along with the continued support of donors, will make these priorities a reality and bolster all of our athletic programs.”

UAB will make substantial investments in Blazer basketball including planned renovations to create state of the art practice facilities, locker room improvements for the women’s program, and upgrades to Bartow Arena that include remodeled basketball offices and new LED lighting to enhance the game-day experience.

“Long-term stability for me and my staff is crucial and represents an important step in moving the program forward,” Haase said. “Our recruits and their families can rest assured that I will be at UAB for the long-term future. Today’s commitment by the administration is a strong statement that UAB wants to be great in basketball. Planned future upgrades in travel, facilities and budgets will be an integral part of sustaining UAB basketball at an elite level.”

Haase, 40, was announced as the Blazers’ fifth head coach in March 2012. A University of Kansas basketball star, he spent 13 years on Coach Roy Williams’ staff at the University of Kansas and at the University of North Carolina before arriving at UAB. His teams at UAB have made strides, with the 2014-15 Blazers winning the school’s first CUSA Tournament championship and earning a landmark victory over Iowa State University in the NCAA Tournament.

“Our recruits and their families can rest assured that I will be at UAB for the long-term future,” Haase said. “Today’s commitment by the administration is a strong statement that UAB wants to be great in basketball.”

“My family and I are thrilled to continue to call UAB and Birmingham home,” Haase said. “I would like to thank Dr. Watts and the UAB administration for their confidence in my ability to lead the UAB Men’s Basketball program. It has been a most enjoyable three years for me personally and professionally, and we look forward to the future with great optimism.”

Haase adds that the UAB administration has asked him to formulate a long-term vision for the basketball program that will build on the momentum established this season and sustain it on and off the court.

“Coach Haase is a winning coach, but even more importantly, he is a person of the highest integrity, and he is recruiting scholar athletes who share those qualities to represent our university on the court,” Watts said.

Haase and Watts signed a letter of intent outlining the new agreement, pending approval by the UA System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee later this week. The agreement also calls for an increase in the basketball program’s operating resources, provides for raises for assistant coaches, and pledges an annual contribution to a strategic investment fund to support the program’s long-term goals.

This past season, Haase’s total compensation reached $625,000, including incentives.

“I am excited that Coach Haase is committed to the long-term success of UAB Basketball,” said Interim Athletic Director Shannon Ealy. “He and his staff made great strides this year, maximizing the potential of one of the youngest teams in the NCAA. I am confident that UAB Basketball has a bright future under Coach Haase.”

An estimated 625 students will participate in the commencement ceremony, and 745 students will graduate. The university’s highest degrees will be conferred on 79 students from 18 states and seven countries in the doctoral hooding ceremony.

Students will present papers on topics as diverse as the Aztecs’ bloody past, the Egyptian goddess Isis, Charles-François Daubigny’s floating studio, a mask of the female Sande society and the representation of women in 18th-century French portraiture.

The UAB Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition represents the culmination of a diverse and intensive program of undergraduate study and will feature illustration, photography and printmaking by Lucy Allen, Amber Gomez and Anna-Kate Marcum.

The Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions awards the Scholarship of Excellence annually to 12 students across the nation who excel in their academic programs and have significant potential to take on future leadership roles in health professions.

The Department of Music presents this annual favorite, featuring UAB Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, the UAB Trumpet Ensemble, choirs and ensembles from area high schools, and the Steel City Men’s Chorus.

Olatuja and her band will open the concert, and the UAB Gospel Choir will then join her in performing holiday-inspired songs. Olatuja also will lead a vocal master class with students in the choir. UAB students, employees, faculty and alumni may purchase $10 tickets.

UAB and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute hosted a panel discussion Tuesday night in a lecture hall full of students, faculty and Birmingham residents to talk about civil discourse after a heated election season.

Everyone’s looking for a little peace — and students have found it in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, a growing hub for the study of peaceful societies, human rights, nonviolent conflict resolution, and related topics. Discover useful tips for defusing friction with family and neighbors, and learn more about the practical lessons of peace.

More than 35 music students and guest performers will tell the story of shepherd boy Amahl, who sees an enormous star and is met with regal visitors bearing gifts. The production features a full set, orchestra, costumes and more.

Department of Art and Art History students will give performances on sound effects added to film and pair images of artworks from across the 20th century to 12 corresponding items from the Department of Theatre’s historical costume collection.